Bracteantha plant named ‘Flobraora’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Bracteantha  named ‘Flobraora’, characterized by its compact and bushy growth habit; upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant form; freely-flowering habit; orange-colored involucral bracts and golden yellow-colored disc florets; and short and strong peduncles that hold inflorescences above the foliage.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Bracteantha bracteata cultivar Flobraora.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Bracteantha plant, botanically known as Bracteantha bracteata and referred to by the name ‘Flobraora’.

The new Bracteantha is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia. The objective of the program is to create and develop new compact Bracteantha cultivars with numerous inflorescences, attractive involucral bract coloration and long-lasting inflorescences.

The new Bracteantha originated from a cross-pollination by the Inventor in September, 1999, of a proprietary selection of Bracteantha bracteata identified as code number 97-004, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Bracteantha bracteata identified as code number 97-035, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Bracteantha was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia in September, 2000.

Asexual reproduction of the new Bracteantha by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia since November, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Bracteantha are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Bracteantha has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of ‘Flobraora’ and distinguish the new Bracteantha as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact and bushy growth habit.     -   2. Upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant form.     -   3. Freely-flowering habit.     -   4. Orange-colored involucral bracts and golden yellow-colored         disc florets.     -   5. Short and strong peduncles that hold inflorescences above the         foliage.

Plants of the new Bracteantha can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, plants of the new Bracteantha differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Bracteantha were more compact than plants         of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Bracteantha had shorter peduncles than         plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Bracteantha can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, plants of the new Bracteantha differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Bracteantha were more compact than plants         of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Bracteantha had shorter peduncles than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Bracteantha and the male parent selection         differed in involucral bract coloration.

Plants of the new Bracteantha can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Redbrabro, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,989. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, plants of the new Bracteantha differed from plants of the cultivar Redbrabro in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Bracteantha were more shorter than plants         of the cultivar Redbrabro.     -   2. Plants of the new Bracteantha were more freely branching than         plants of the cultivar Redbrabro.     -   3. Plants of the new Bracteantha had smaller leaves than plants         of the cultivar Redbrabro.     -   4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Bracteantha had fewer         involucral bracts and fewer disc florets than inflorescences of         plants of the cultivar Redbrabro.     -   5. Plants of the new Bracteantha and the cultivar Redbrabro         differed in involucral bract coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Bracteantha.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Flobraora’ grown in a container. Plants used in the photographs were grown in 14-cm containers and were about three months old.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia during the spring and summer under full sun outdoor conditions, day temperatures ranging from 15 to 30° C. and night temperatures ranging from 10 to 15° C. Rooted liners of the new Bracteantha were planted in three-gallon containers and grown for about six months. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Bracteantha bracteata cultivar Flobraora. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female or seed parent.—Proprietary selection of Bracteantha             bracteata identified as code number 97-004, not patented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Proprietary selection of Bracteantha             bracteata identified as code number 97-035, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About one week at 30° C.             Winter: About two weeks at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—Summer: About three             weeks at 30° C. Winter: About four weeks at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine to fibrous; pale brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely-branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Compact and bushy growth habit; upright,             outwardly spreading and rounded plant form with dense             foliage and inflorescences held above the foliage on short             peduncles. Vigorous growth habit. Freely branching, about             192 lateral branches per plant. Appropriate for three-gallon             containers.         -   Plant height.—About 27 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 53 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 29.6 cm. Width:             About 8 mm. Internode length: About 1.1 cm. Aspect: Erect.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent. Color: 143C.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single;             sessile. Length: About 7.5 cm. Width: About 1.2 cm. Shape:             Linear elliptic. Margin: Entire. Apex: Acute. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern:             Pinnate. Color: Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: 137B; venation, same as lamina. Developing and             fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 137C; venation, 146D. -   Flowering description:     -   -   Inflorescence form.—Daisy-type composite inflorescence form.             Inflorescences arranged acropetally on a capitulum.             Inflorescences circular in shape.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last on the plant             for about 36 days. Inflorescences not persistent.         -   Natural flowering season.—Natural flowering season is             year-round in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia; flowering             continuous.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—One terminal inflorescence per             lateral branch, about 84 inflorescences per plant at one             time.         -   Fragrance.—Moderate; sweet.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.5 cm.         -   Inflorescence depth (height).—About 1.2 cm.         -   Disc diameter.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Receptacle diameter.—About 1.4 cm.         -   Receptacle height.—About 5.1 mm.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Length: About 2.1 cm. Diameter: About             1.3 cm. Shape: Roughly ovoid. Color: 46A.         -   Involucral bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 112 in             multiple whorls. Length: About 1.6 cm. Width: About 5.2 mm.             Shape: Ligulate, concave. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             papery, stiff. Color: When opening and fully opened, inner             whorls, upper surface: 31A. When opening and fully opened,             outer whorls, upper surface: 34A; streaks, 46A, towards the             apex, 46A; towards the base, 17B. When opening and fully             opened, inner whorls, lower surface: 24A. When opening and             fully opened, outer whorls, lower surface: 167A; towards the             apex, 166B.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed in the center of the             receptacle with one whorl of filiform florets at the             perimeter of the disc. Quantity per inflorescence:             About 475. Shape: Tubular with five lobes. Length: About             9.5 mm. Diameter, apex: About 1 mm. Diameter, base: About             0.6 mm. Color, immature: 26A. Color, mature: Towards the             apex, 26A; towards the base, 22B.         -   Peduncle.—Length: About 4.4 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Aspect: Erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth. glabrous.             Color: 143C.         -   Androecium.—Present only on disc florets; minute.             Arrangement: Fused anther tube with five long thin linear             anthers surrounding the style. Anther length: Less than             1 mm. Anther color: Yellow. Amount of pollen: Moderate.             Pollen color: Yellow.         -   Gynoecium.—Present on both filiform and disc florets;             minute. Quantity per floret: One. Style color: 23A towards             the stigma; towards the base, pale yellow. Stigma shape:             Bi-parted. Stigma color: 23A.         -   Seed.—Length: About 2.7 mm. Diameter: About 0.9 mm. Color:             177C. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Bracteantha have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to     Bracteantha. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Bracteantha have been     observed to tolerate temperatures from −4 to 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Bracteantha plant named ‘Flobraora’, as illustrated and described. 